


sense of home

by sinshineboi



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Fluff, M/M, Rain, Second-Hand Embarrassment, Soft Boys, i'm alive and writing again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 12:17:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15072992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinshineboi/pseuds/sinshineboi
Summary: The rain was definitely better from behind a window.Or, the one where Changkyun gets second-hand embarrassment from Minhyuk dancing in the rain.





	sense of home

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I haven't written in forever and this oneshot was literally inspired by rain while I was sitting in the Starbucks on my college campus. I wanted this to be much longer, but unfortunately lost my muse, so if the ending is sub par, I apologize. I've never been really good at ending things, or starting things. I'm honestly terrible orz. I hope you guys enjoy this little oneshot, and look forward to more works from me!

It began as a whispering in the air. The day had been beautiful, the sky stretching out in a pretty, refreshing blue like a blanket of comfort, before the storms rolled in like a foreboding army on the horizon. A nervous energy had begun to buzz through the wandering bodies on the street; questions of whether the rain would begin as a downpour or settle into a drizzle wordlessly floating above them. It was only a matter of time before warm bodies began to filter into the buildings, seeking shelter from the storm.

A dark glower that could rival the budding storm settled on the face of a young male, who had settled into the warm café long before the clouds had made their appearance. He sat at a table meant for two, tucked away in the back corner, but still having a front row seat for the upcoming concert of raindrops. It wasn't uncommon for the male to be seen, almost brooding, next to the window, but perhaps that was just the usual stony set of his facial features, unintentional aloofness set there. It was a ward to keep potential nosy people from claiming the seat across from him; he didn't wish for any company other than the unobtrusive pitter-patter gracing the window and blurring his reflection.

As much as he loved the rain, he hated the swarm of people it brought indoors. Everyone was incredibly pushy and loud, breaking through his bubble of peace and sending his mood into a downward spiral of gloom.

His paper cup sat abandoned and cool in his irritation at the change of events, his name neatly written in marker on the side. Changkyun. A name he was continuously surprised would be spelled correctly on his order that never changed: a regular hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. At first, he had assumed it was the barista flirting with him, but he soon came to realize that she was also not the straightest of people to be seen within the café, so he took it as genuine friendliness, an aspect he was pleased to see still existed within humanity.

Still, there was only so much he could take, as the café gradually grew warm from increased body heat, so he bid farewell to his special table, tossing his unfinished hot chocolate and dragging his umbrella from his satchel. Changkyun had the minds to check the weather before he went out this morning, expecting the flood of water now drizzling from the heavens to grace the earth that he wasn't sure deserved it. The rain may be a comfort in the beauty it added to the normalcy of a sunny day, but the brunet was not fond of having his clothes stick to his skin, nor did he want to risk getting a cold, so caring the umbrella was indeed a necessity. He could appreciate the rain without forfeiting his personal well-being.

The breeze that had been gusting through the streets earlier that morning had settled, leaving the air still and the young male's clothes dry. A tiny pleasure, but he would take it. Taking his time, Changkyun allowed his gaze to wander.

People were dunking beneath whatever form of awning they could find, seeking shelter from the rain as they cursed themselves for not checking the weather or assuming the sunshine wasn't an oasis to disguise the storm that was now upon them. Thunder rumbled in the distance almost ominously, and as lightning burst across the sky, Changkyun was amused to note, a few people jolted in surprised, suddenly blinded by the bright light. Perhaps he should be more terrified, but he felt calm for once, the clashing of words in his mind paling in comparison to the volume surrounding him.

His amusement soon morphed into distaste, though, as he witnessed couples huddled beneath shared umbrellas (a pointless feat in Changkyun's opinion because they were still getting wet) or reenacting that one scene from _The Notebook_ , another aspect of romance he could not grasp. Why would they want to risk getting sick or being uncomfortable for the sake of pretending to be Hollywood actors paid to be in "love?" Absolutely ridiculous, although, that may be why he has been single for as long as he has.

Still, as far as Changkyun was concerned, relationships were bogus, and he could function just fine on his own. Sure, the night may get too chilly sometimes, and he may cook way too much for one person to eat, but to say he was lonely and wanting a significant other was going too far.

Before the brunet could sink any further into his own self-deprecating thoughts on his lacking love life, he blankly noted he had reached the park near his apartment complex, but that hadn't been what caught his attention. The rain certainly hadn't let up any, flooding the mulch under the swing set and created a fast current over the sidewalk Changkyun had been walking down. Yet, there was a faint melody without any beat that carried over through the still air, obtaining the blank-faced male's attention, his brow raising at the ridiculous sight in front of him.

Changkyun wasn't sure what he should focus on first: the mustard yellow shirt, the way the shirt clung to his skin, the blissed-out smile, the caramel colored hair, or the fact that this man was out dancing in the rain with no umbrella or any form of cover. Changkyun's lips parted in disbelief, hand loosely holding his umbrella as he just stared at the scene before him.

"What kind of Hollywood bullshit?" He mumbled his question as if the universe held some sort of magical answer for him while his nose crinkled in ill-concealed distaste. This was normal. Far from it, in fact, and all Changkyun wanted was normalcy in his life. He did not need whatever drug induced high (which he must have accidentally consumed off of someone who got too close in the café earlier) this scene was painting for him. No, not at all.

Yet, here he was, walking on careful feet towards the mess of a man in front of him. His brow raised in question as he paused once more at a safe enough distance, so he wouldn't risk getting wet if this interaction went south.

The caramel-haired male hadn't noticed him yet, which still gave him plenty of time to just turn around and pretend he never saw any alien behavior occurring on his street. It wasn't really any of his business anyway, so he could just pass it off as- "You know, you look like an idiot."

The other male startled, comically tripping over seemingly nothing as he came crashing into the gigantic puddle beneath him. His arms had pinwheeled at his side in a futile attempt at catching himself, but Changkyun continued to stare blankly down at him, not even twitching in amusement at the other's floundering. Frankly, the secondhand embarrassment the shorter of the two could feel running down his spine was enough for him to keep any snarkier remarks from escaping his lips. He really shouldn't be rude to someone he just met, even if it inconvenienced his walk home, but, alas, here they were: Changkyun scowling and the stranger peering up at him in bewilderment from where he still sat, sprawled out on the ground. Again: this was ridiculous.

"Uh, excuse me?"

Changkyun rolled his eyes, cautiously stepping forward to offer a hand and help the drenched male up. His body was bent at the waist as he tried to avoid dipping his tennis shoes into the puddle, knowing the fabric would just soak up the water like they had been stranded in the desert for too long. Soggy shoes would have to be aired out, and even then, the smell of wet feet still lingered. It was disgusting, and he knew there wouldn't be a rare warm day that he could air out his apartment any time soon, so it was best to just avoid the situation if he could.

"I said, you look like an idiot. You're going to catch a cold in this weather. Has that not occurred to you?" He scolded lightly, barely managing to keep his nose from crinkling as a cold, wet hand settled in his, and he pulled the taller male to his feet.

The other simply tilted his head in confusion before a bright grin that could rival the sun came as a response. Surely, something was wrong with this man, and Changkyun couldn't tell if he was drawn to it or repulsed. Whatever the feeling was, he didn't like it, and he also didn't like that his displeasure was clearly being ignored as the other began to speak, "My immune system can handle this weather. It's rare to have an opportunity like this so I'm taking advantage of it."

"But can't you appreciate the weather from your home?" Changkyun challenged, a little bit miffed at the nonchalance. He wasn't sure what was more ridiculous at this point: this man acting as if there was nothing abnormal going on here or Changkyun arguing with said man while the rain continued to pour around them? The latter was certainly more pathetic now that he thought about it.

"There's a difference between watching from a window and actually experiencing the raindrops on your skin. You miss chances if you just continue to stare outside, and you're never truly living unless you take risks to gain experiences."

Changkyun's jaw was hanging open, he could tell that much, but he couldn't muster a reply. _The utter ridiculousness-_ He wanted to scream, or at least rant out his displeasure at this situation as his skin crawled with barely concealed irritation. He was living just fine, thank you very much, and that meant he could still watch from outside a window.

"You're afraid of change, aren't you?"

That was it.

That was the final question that had Changkyun turning on his heel and walking away as fast as his stride would allow him, ears red with what? He wasn't sure, but he certainly wasn't going to stick around to find out.

He did, however, turn around as he approached the door of his apartment complex. The sight was similar to the one he had originally walked up to; the strange male twirling to his own melody, face turned up toward the sky the embrace the cold wetness. It had Changkyun scowling as he slipped into the entryway, reluctantly closing his umbrella and flinching at the few raindrops that managed to slide down the back of his jacket.

The rain was _definitely_ better from behind a window.

Δ

A couple years had passed after that encounter in the rain, and really, not much had changed in Changkyun's pretty stagnant life. He continued going to that coffee shop, ordering a hot chocolate, even if the day was warm, and people watching. Sometimes he wasn't alone, though; a mop of caramel-colored hair filling his vision on the warmest of days, brown eyes softer than the chocolate drizzle melting with the whip cream in the younger male's drink.

_Lee Minhyuk._

A name he hadn't been able to get during their first meeting, secondhand embarrassment becoming too strong and sending Changkyun rushing to his apartment, eager to curl up under the warm blanket gracelessly thrown over the back of his couch.

But now it was a name he whispered every morning as his own sunshine snuggled further into the pillows and blankets of their bed. The name of a man he would have to tickle awake because their extra five minutes had morphed into an extra thirty and Changkyun was going to be late if his boyfriend didn't release him from his koala-like hold. The name of the man he had fallen in love with on a rare sunny afternoon that caused the previous night's rain to glisten on the leaves, creating a picture that his phone couldn't capture well enough.

He was hopelessly and utterly in love with a man named Lee Minhyuk, despite the other's habit of dancing in the rain and making Changkyun feel mortified to even go out in public some days. Yet, the soft hand holding and gentle kisses lighter than the breeze more than made up for any shame the younger would feel from his boyfriend's actions.

So here they were now, curled up against each other as the sunlight filtered through the blinds Changkyun has needed to replace for months now. Minhyuk's cold nose pressed into the crook of the younger's neck, soft breaths causing the brunet to twitch a little at the ticklish feelings. It was so incredibly domestic, but it was very them. Changkyun couldn't ask for a better situation as he laced his fingers through caramel hair and rubbed circles against the exposed skin of Minhyuk's side as his shirt rode up.

"Min, I know you're not fucking sleeping anymore."

The sleepy chuckle he received in response had his chest warming, and he rolled his eyes at the ridiculous pout on the other's lips, his cheeks puffed out in an attempt to be cuter. Changkyun simply brought his hands up to squish Minhyuk's cheeks, forcing the air stored there out and earning even more peals of laughter, and he began to wonder how he was the younger of the two, his boyfriend taking the childish cake.

"But Kyunnie, you said it was going to rain today. Let's stay in bed where it's warm." Minhyuk complained lightly in response, peeking open one eye so he could keep the other side of his face buried in the comfortable pillow. He watched as Changkyun was already slipping out of the bed and coming around to Minhyuk's side since it was closest to their closet.

A noise of disapproval came in response as the other began to dress himself for the day; the man still curled up under the blankets now facing his boyfriend, so he could hum in satisfaction at the revealed muscle of the other's back. The view didn't last for long, however, as a soft sweater was tossed over Minhyuk's messy bedhead, pulling a muffled whine past his lips.

"Exactly, so it's time to get up. The rain waits for no one, Min, so we can't wait for it." Changkyun mused with a tone of fondness, giving in to the pout of the other's lips enough to give him a gentle good-morning kiss. That seemed to be plenty to rouse the older male from the warmth of their shared bed, the sweater being enough to keep his upper body warm against the slight chill of their room. That. That was the sight that Changkyun loved waking up to every morning since he asked his boyfriend to move in with him; the sleepy-eyed male looked so serene in that moment, like he couldn't be happier with just sitting in bed his hair going in every direction and no makeup gracing his face.

Lee Minhyuk was the definition of beauty that Changkyun didn't know he had been searching for; a bright sun clearing his dreary grey skies. _A blessing._

The one currently shoving a pillow in Changkyun's face because he got too embarrassed by his younger boyfriend's fond staring. He always got like that, though; always embarrassed by the smallest of things, and really, it just made Changkyun love him even more. The poor boy was perfectly fine with shooting cheesy lines at Changkyun, but the moment the younger retaliated, Minhyuk would become a whiny mess.

"Fine. Fine, I'm up and at it. Just stop staring, you goof. Makes me wanna drag you back to bed and continue last night's activities," Minhyuk huffed, pressing a long kiss to Changkyun's lips before pulling away to finally get out of bed, "Honestly, though, you're up earlier than normal. What's up?" The question hung in the air for a moment before the caramel-haired male understood that he wasn't going to be getting an answer. It was going to be a surprise whether he liked it or not, but it was Changkyun. There was nothing the younger could plan that Minhyuk wouldn't like.

Changkyun simply allowed his boyfriend to get ready in peace, checking the time on his watch every so often as well as peeking out the window to make sure the rain hadn't started yet. He wasn't nearly as giddy as he thought he would be. His excitement settled like a warm rock on his chest, just ready to push him toward the next step.


End file.
